Theological Thoughts - On the End Times (Coming Soon?)

What follows is from the email newsletter I send out to our young people of the diocese.  People can start to hyperventilate a little when this kind of thing comes up.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." (NIV, Mark 13:32-33) You may have heard that the world is coming to an end soon.  In fact one (very small) group of Christians claim that the Rapture (when the believers will be lifted out of this world into Heaven prior to the end) will happen on Saturday.  THIS Saturday, May 21.  I thought I'd share a few thoughts about that this week: Not everyone agrees on the Rapture.  That's right, not all Christians can even agree if there will such a thing as the Rapture.  It's based on some very, very scanty Scripture and it's never referred to directly. The quote at the top is Jesus talking.  And he says that even HE doesn't know when he's coming back.  So how does this guy think he's figured it out?  That always smacks of some incredible ego issues to say you know something that even Jesus didn't know about God's plan.  I can't go there. It's based on a belief that the Bible is a code and only certain people can crack the code and find out the truth.  I can't find any basis to believe this and pretty much all denominations reject the idea.  God isn't hiding the truth. This same guy has already predicted this once before a couple years back.  You may have noticed that it didn't happen.  He claims that he didn't have all the facts last time but does this time.  Make up your own mind.     Think:  The reality is that we DON'T know when Jesus is coming back.  And he was specific in saying he WAS coming back.  So if he arrived at dinner tonight (it could happen) are you ready?  Are you leading the kind of life that you could show to Jesus? Pray:  Ask God to help you be the person you can be, the best possible you.  That's the person that Jesus is looking forward to seeing.  Whether in the Rapture or otherwise. Do:  Remember to live your life so that no matter when Jesus comes, next weekend, next month or in the next century, you'll have lived the life you are meant to live.

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I believe this is the 6th "End of the World" prediction of my adult lifetime (at least the ones of which I've heard).  So far none have been right.  Trying to predict this event has been going on for at least a couple hundred years.  All of them have been wrong.  Yet the urge to show how smart we are rises up again and again.  We've figured out what God's plan is.  I'm astounded that the arrogance of that kind of thinking never dawns on these folks.  But delusion can be blinding.  The additional claims that the number of catastrophes in the world is rising makes me shake my head as well.  Two hundred years ago if a giant storm swept through large portions of the world we simply would never know.  At best the news might reach us months or even years later.  Today we can see every part of the globe simultaneously and the news reaches us instantly.  The news of war and plague and famine seem to be overwhelming.  But even a quick study of history shows that we've been living through times like these for most of recorded history.  We're just more aware of it today. The best "preparation" for the end times is simply to be better people, live better lives, work to make the world a better place.  Then when and if the Rapture comes or the End of Times arrives you'll have made yourself as fully prepared as possible. Beyond that I can only rely on the gift of Grace. Peace

Theological Thoughts - Constatnine's Curse

The Donation of Constantine (check this and this) is a forged document of the 8th or 9th Century that claimed to be from the Roman Emperor Constantine I to Pope Sylvester I and those that followed him granting the bishop of Rome authority over most of the world.  Not just spiritual authority but secular authority as well.  It was generally accepted as real (and its "authority" called upon by some popes) until the 15th Century when it was fairly definitively shown to be a fake.

And that should be the end of that, right?

Well not really.  The Vatican chose to ignore the proof that it was fake for a while and I think the Church Universal still bears an underlying belief that even if we weren't granted secular authority, we probably ought to have been.  Consequently we still act like we are or should be in charge of the governance of the world.

Before anyone thinks I'm taking shots at our brothers and sisters in Rome let me point out that this basic idea is available in its own handy, dandy Protestant version in forms like "Dominionism"   The problem that I have with all of this is that I think it is the exact opposite of what we are called to be and do in the Gospel.

Yes, I'm aware of the passages telling us about Christ's kingdom in this world.  I just don't see where we're told that we're to set it up (as if God were incapable of doing it himself) or that we get to run it.

There are also plenty of passages of Jesus' direct teaching about NOT being in power, of giving up power and accepting a role in society outside of power.  For me the greatest of these is when he is confronted with the question about taxes and shown a coin of the realm (which you'll find in Matthew 22, Mark 12 and Luke 20). 

Is there any more simple expression of power in this world, now or then, than money?  Here is the question of power all wrapped up in a single small chunk of metal.  And in that chunk of metal we have the perfect simple symbol of governmental authority, the authority to tax.  Jesus' response is equally simple and instructive.  He refuses the power expressed therein.  Not tangentially or indirectly but straight to the point.  Give the Emperor (the government) what is theirs (power).  Not that "our day is coming" or "yeah, we need to take over soon" or  even "See how he keeps stealing from me?".  Nope. Give it up. 

Power in this world isn't what we're about.  In fact it's exactly what we're NOT about.  So why do so many of our brothers and sisters (of all theological stripes I might add) spend so much time trying to make sure that government expresses our particular understanding of God, the Gospel and All That Is Good?

I think it's a lack of faith attached with a good old dose of ego.  The lack of faith is in the ability of God (through the Holy Spirit) to work in this world.  We need to put it into law because it can't happen any other way.  To me that is an alarming lack of faith.  If legalism was the answer then why does Jesus spend so much time hammering away at legalism?  The ego part comes from the very simple idea that we need to put MY vision of what God wants into law so that everyone will live their lives the way I think they ought to live them.  (It's amazing how often folks with this point of view don't actually want to live their own lives that way but that's another subject for another day).  I know what's right, my way of thinking is right and I'm going to make sure all of you do it my way.  Me, my, mine.  Pretty sad Christian theology.

What happened to Love God, Love Your Neighbor As Yourself and Love One Another?  What happened to "...To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."?  Oh yes, the curse.

I believe the most powerful act that the church could offer the world right now would be to utterly renounce power.  We're not going to try and influence you, we're not going to lobby you, we're not going to try and impose our view on anyone else.  We're going to render unto Caesar and get on with the business of caring for the poor and the ill and those in prison.  We will love our neighbors and ourselves.

And the world will suddenly start getting better.
And many people will flock to our sides in wonder at what we are doing.
And the politicians will start showing up because they won't understand what we're doing but they know how to detect which way the wind blows.

And the world will change.

But only if we turn our back on that darkness ensconced in the Curse of Constantine.

Peace

Theological Thoughts - On Michael Vick

I've been hearing another round of uproar about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.  There are many dog lovers for whom Vick, convicted in 2007 on charges of running a dog fighting kennel and executing some of those dogs with great cruelty, will be forever outside the pale.  Recently Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson said that he believed, as a Christian no less, that Vick should have been executed for those crimes.  Vick served 23 months in federal prison in Leavenworth Kansas.  That's not a "country club" minimum security facility.

He accepted responsibility for his actions.  He plead guilty to the charges and served his time.  He's acknowledged that what he did was wrong and is attempting to make amends.  To the best of my knowledge he hasn't gone back to his old ways.

But for some people what he did is unforgivable.

Unforgivable.

That's a tough word.  And even tougher if, like the self professed person of faith Tucker Carlson, you are a Christian.

Because that word has no place in our theological vocabulary.

I'm aware of only one unforgivable sin - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  The intentional rejection of God's grace and mercy.  Not that you don't believe in them but rather you just reject them out of hand.  It's a hardness of heart issue.  That's it.  The only one that is unforgivable.

Somehow I think Michael Vick comes up short on that basis.

So why are so many people adamant about what's "unforgivable"?  Well first note that my argument only applies to faithful Christians.  Other faiths may have other attitudes and folks outside the life of faith are always able to make their own rules as they go.  As Christians we have no standing what so ever to hold this point of view.  First because we know it's not our job to pass this kind of judgement (not that it stops us).  Second because we know that we too have sinned and need to be forgiven.  In fact we lay out the standards for our own forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer - forgive us as we forgive others.  No forgiveness for Michael Vick?  Under the terms of your verbal contract with the Big Guy you can be denied forgiveness yourself.

Ouch.  Hey Tucker, want to re-think that comment?

Forgiveness is at the center of our faith.  It is the very heart of what it is to be a follower of Christ.  Look at the crucifix (no fair cheating with a cross that does not bear the likeness of the body of the savior.  Crucifix only, please) and decide that you are prepared or even fit to deny another human being forgiveness.  Repeat the words of the Lord's Prayer, and then say that Michael Vick is unforgivable.

He's done what is required.
You don't have to like him.
But you do have to forgive him.

Because to not do so is a sin.

Peace